JohnsByrne Co. -- Finding an Edge

According to Fairley, the adjustments and learning curves are no less dramatic than any transformation from one platform to another. And, while the company is perhaps six months away from reaching a comfort zone with its CIM, the benefits have been readily apparent.

Clearly, working with the manufacturers on the system before it is shrink-wrapped and sold to the general populace had its advantages. "I look at it from the perspective that we're 80 percent better than we were yesterday, and it's good to get in on the ground floor—to get a better understanding of the system and its capabilities," Fairley says. "By being an alpha site, you're also much more involved in the enhancements of the product. We're able to give more input to the manufacturers as to what we would like to see added to improve the product. Those efficiencies have all been acknowledged by them.